A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Jay$1,390/mo

Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57% · or rent about $765/mo · Housing →

Nowata$880/mo

Typical home $153K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $752/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,100 a year, between Jay and Nowata.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Nowata places higher on 16 of 20 OK lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Oklahoma ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

DJaySafer than 6% of U.S. towns CNowataSafer than 27% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−JayBetter than 45% of districts in the state CNowataBetter than 28% of districts in the state

Health

D−JayHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns D−NowataHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns

4Jay

16Nowata

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 134 towns #112#47 Most walkableOutdoors · 134 towns #55#10 SafestSafety · 127 towns #121#80 Most remote workersWork · 131 towns #80#38 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 134 towns #51#84 Highest incomeIncome · 134 towns #124#94 Fastest growingGrowth · 134 towns #83#110 Fewest smokersHealth · 134 towns #130#105

Left end = #1 in Oklahoma. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Jay’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

JayNowata

Snow a year6″8″

January low26°F 22°F

July high91°F 93°F

Growing season (days)209d 192d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th 73rd

Outdoors & history

JayNowata

Trails—4 mi

Conserved land—1.6%

Settled—1889

National Register places—2

Archive photos2 8

Famous people born here2 10

Community

JayNowata

Library hours a week50 hrs 29 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

50 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

JayOK NowataOK

Jay ↔ Nowata50 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Oklahoma average

JayNowata

People

Population 2,731Lowest 3,542Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.9%Highest OK: +5.5% -5.7%Lowest OK: +5.5%

Median age 34.6±1.3Lowest 6% below OK 37.8±1.6Highest about the OK average

Kids under 18 25.4%±2.1Highest OK: 24% 24.4%±4Lowest OK: 24%

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 13.6%±2.1Lowest OK: 16.3% 18.8%±3.6Highest OK: 16.3%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Lowest OK: 28.3% 13.2%Highest OK: 28.3%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±1.4Lowest OK: 5.8% 3.1%±1.8Highest OK: 5.8%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $38,094±$4kLowest 41% below OK $47,776±$12kHighest 27% below OK

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $107,900±$17kHighest 46% below OK $89,900±$12kLowest 55% below OK

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $765±$142Highest 25% below OK $752±$215Lowest 26% below OK

Jay and Nowata are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $611Highest 62% below OK $591Lowest 63% below OK

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61%±16.2Highest OK: 46.3% 30%±14.3Lowest OK: 46.3%

Below poverty line 23.5%Lowest OK: 15.3% 25.5%Highest OK: 15.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.3%Highest OK: 65.8% 61%Lowest OK: 65.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 4 yrs older than OK 1967Lowest 13 yrs older than OK

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 23% above OK 27 minLowest 18% above OK

Work from home 5.2%±3.5Lowest OK: 9.4% 8.3%±4.3Highest OK: 9.4%

Nowata and Jay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 19.4%Lowest 25.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 23.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.23Highest 0.98Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Grove (8%)Bartlesville (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in NowataFew work in Jay

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.5Lowest 87.8Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #103 of 128 in OK #120 of 128 in OK

School district JAYNOWATA

High school in town Jay HSNowata HS

Students per teacherat that high school 16.2Highest 14.8Lowest

Oklahoma average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Jay neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jay’s Town Square.

Nowata neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nowata’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Jay and Nowata

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Jay

+ Compare

Brush Creek101 people

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New Eucha185 people

Towns like Jay

+ Compare

Spiro2,269 people · $101K homes

+ Compare

Arkoma1,976 people · $84K homes

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Chandler2,899 people · $111K homes

+ Compare

Krebs2,119 people · $106K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Oklahoma towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Jay vs Nowata

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Jay

Nowata places higher on 16 of 20 OK lists

What daily life feels like in each

50 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jay and Nowata

Bordering Jay

Towns like Jay

Post to Jay

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